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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

It's that time again! I'm back for part two of my job search series on LoveTalk Radio program with the fabulous Lovebabz (Babz Rawls-Ivy). If you're looking for tips and truly useful strategies for your job search, then tune in tomorrow, Tuesday November 29 at 10am (pst). Just click the LoveTalk Radio link above and it will take you right to the program. If you miss it, then check back here later in the day for the podcast.

Now, what do you do when you've just lost your job, or you know a layoff is coming? First, do your best NOT TO PANIC. You may have plenty of reason to. But please do your best not to give in to that energy.

Dust off your resume and take a good hard look at it. Then ask someone you trust, and whose opinion you value, to turn their critical eye on it as well.

First, you need a firm and clear picture of your unique skills and strengths. No, I don't mean your proficiency with Word, your prowess with PowerPoint, or your exceptional communication skills. These skills are essential functions to just about any job now days - that's how employers see it. So look at your career experience, the things you did day to day, and create a list of job specific functions and activities of which you excelled (or not), then think of how best to highlight them. Now you may come up with a list of 20 things, and that's great! However you are to only focus on the best/top 3-5 or 5-7 things. You want to do your best to shine, not overwhelm the person on the other end of your resume.

Second, decide your resume format : Traditional/Chronological or Skills based. There are tons of creative ways to put a resume together, but unless you know what you're doing, you'd better stick to these two basics. For many reasons, I'm a big fan of the skills based format. It's very flexible and forgiving. It allows you to say quite a bit without really saying much at all. And this comes in handy under so many circumstances, which is why this will be my focus when discussing resumes.

So what is a Skill Based resume format? It's where the focus is concentrated on what you do, have done, and can do - your skills and experience! Not so much where and when you did it all and in what order. Like I said earlier, this format is very forgiving as well, especially to those who've jump around, and does a few things in terms of de-emphasizing the gap(s). At the top of the skills based resume you have a bullet list and below that, instead of your traditional chronological listings, you can drill down further and get more specific about your skills. For example, you could have a heading called 'Project Management' and then bullet your accomplishments below. It gets the person on the other end of your resume reading about your strengths almost immediately. Whereas if, as a hiring manager, the first thing you see is three different employers in three years, you may automatically put a resume like that in the "NO" pile.

So, take some time to really think about your work experiences and the skills you've acquired over your career. If you find you're having 'writers block', or feel the contributions you've made may not have amounted to much, then come back next week for the third installment. I'll be touching on some things that may be keeping you from creating a great resume, asking you to ask yourself some clarifying questions to help with this process, as well as giving away the secrets all hiring hotshots hate to see on a resume!

Can't wait til next week? Then please email me with any questions, I'm here for you!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Here's my appearance on LoveTalk Radio with the fabulous Babz Rawls Ivy - she is AMAZING! She is a blue print for how to move forward through hardship and pain, and how to truly self examine with tenderness and truth. I just love her and her spirit! Please find the time to check her out, both her blog and her radio show.

Meanwhile, after a bit of a hiatus, here's my most recent appearance. This is the beginning of a series I'll be doing on Babz show on employment where I'll be discussing the practical - job search strategies, resume writing/building techniques, and interviewing skills - as well as how to stay positive during these difficult times. In today's show I talked a little bit about everything, but mainly how to stay focused on the ways to stay positive, reminding people that what you do is not who you are - basically a take on yesterdays blog post here. Please have a listen, and I hope you find something helpful and encouraging.

I'm starting a new series on job search strategies, tips, and advice covering topics such as creating a great resume, interviewing techniques, salary negotiation, what hiring managers are looking for, and how to work with temporary staffing agencies, just to name a few.

So many people are finding themselves in situations where they're in transition - they've just been laid off or there's one pending; they've been searching for a job for what seems like forever now, are recent college graduate, or now find that they must get back into the job market after a significant life change.

First, try your best not to see just the negative in the situation. Being without a job isn't always a good thing, especially in today's economic however, you can make it one. How? By recognizing the opportunity in it. This is truly a chance for you to 'write your own ticket' in a manner of speaking. Yes, that's sounds corny, I admit it. But take a moment and really think about what you want to to with your life, and and how you can make a living from it. Where there's a will there's a way.

So you love to travel or have always been interested in doing it, but you have a husband and 2 kids under the age of 12, along with their host of after school and extra curricular activities. So what do you do? Give up on that love? NO! You investigate the travel industry - it's in's and out's, and research what piece, or pieces, of it that both intrigue you and are do-able for you and where you are in your life at that moment. Then you work towards that. For example, maybe start a travel blog about the places that interest you, or places that you've been already.

Please, don't think of a job loss as self loss. Yes, it can be devastating, but it doesn't define your worth nor who you are. Who you are is not what you do. Only YOU define YOU. Do your best to see this as an opportunity to change your life and be who you want to be, who you were meant to be.

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Angela is a Certified Professional Life Coach and her sole focus is teaching women how to get "unstuck" and create forward movement in their lives. She shows them how to resolve their issues with money, employment, relationships, and achieve work/life balance, and she teaches them how to create, set, and accomplish goals to create the lives they deserve!

Upcoming Events

Metamorphosis! Life Skills WorkshopSunday November 2, from 1-4pm (doors open at 12:30)Redwood Heights Recreation Center in Oakland- Go to www.eventbrite.com to purchase tickets.- General Admission $40 & Early RSVP only $30